SŽDC started looking for a company to repair the exterior of the Fant's building

Prague - The Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) today launched a tender for a contractor to repair the façade and roof of the Art Nouveau Fant building at the main train station in Prague. The reconstruction, which will cost a total of 171.5 million crowns, is set to begin in the first half of this year. This was announced by the railway administration in a press release today. The repairs will take at least two and a half years.

The competition only concerns the exterior of the monument-protected building; SŽDC plans to address the reconstruction of the interior parts later. "The Fant building, along with the adjacent hall above the platforms, is the largest Art Nouveau monument in the Czech Republic, which is why we are giving exceptional attention to its preparation. All construction and technological processes are designed in accordance with the requirements of state heritage protection," stated SŽDC General Director Jiří Svoboda.

SŽDC plans to remove the damaged plaster during the reconstruction, which will be replaced with entirely new lime plaster. The project also includes the removal of all non-functional elements on the building, such as steel brackets or distribution boards. The openings left by them will then be bricked up. The structure of the roof truss will also be treated, with new battens, roofing material, and flashing being installed. Windows and doors will be refurbished, and those parts that cannot be repaired will be replaced with replicas in the original colors.

The reconstruction of the historic building named after the architect of the construction, Josef Fant, was originally supposed to be completed by 2013. The company Grandi Stazioni, which had leased the station since 2003, failed to finish the repairs, and SŽDC did not renew its contract in 2016. The Italian company only managed to renovate the interior of the central part, which includes the so-called Fant café. The side wings, including the façade of the monument-protected building, are still waiting for repairs.

Grandi Stazioni has filed a total of four lawsuits against SŽDC regarding the station. In them, the company demands a determination of ownership rights to both the old and new halls of the station and also seeks compensation for damages for the non-renewal of the lease and payment of invested costs. One of the lawsuits, in which the Italian company requested a determination of ownership of the Fant building, was rejected by the appeals court in October.